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Abstract:

Changes in stand quality and financial returns are evaluated for Upper Michigan northern hardwood stands managed for 32 years under eight alternative cutting techniques. Improvements in tree grade and stand soundness were greatest under a light improvement cutting method which supports recommendations that bole quality improvement can be attained through selection type cuttings. Harvest revenues were maximized by a 12-in. diameter limit cut, followed by a 16-in. diameter limit and a light improvement cutting. In contrast, the managed forest value, assuming sustainable stand conditions have been achieved for all treatments, was maximized by the 16-in. diameter limit cut, followed closely by the light improvement treatment. Although the 16-in. diameter limit cut provided returns slightly greater than the light improvement cut and had a more even flow of revenues, it did not lead to quality improvements. These results support those of other studies which indicate the importance of considering economic criteria in developing silvicultural recommendations. North. J. Appl. For. 7:153-158, December 1990.

Each regional journal of applied forestry focuses on research, practice, and techniques targeted to foresters and allied professionals in specific regions of the United States and Canada. The Northern Journal of Applied Forestry covers northeastern, midwestern, and boreal forests in the United States and Canada.